Author: Nathan Parcells

Stay “Hot” With Bonfyre

Isn’t it annoying when you can’t get in touch with your friends on campus? Not sure if they’re tailgating at the big game or stuffing themselves at “Fifty Cent Wing Friday?”

Well that’s what Bonfyre, a new location-based mobile app is for! Bonfyre helps college students stay in touch with their friends, the “hot” places to hang out on campus — and get cool discounts on things they enjoy (like cheap wings).

Last year they launched on three college campuses and saw a surge in users! This year, they want to continue the momentum by hiring those who know students best (you) to participate in their college ambassador program and help spread the word about their new mobile app!

Right now, Bonfyre is recruiting for positions in Berkeley, Cambridge, Boston, Chicago, Evanston and Champaign-Urbana. Students interested in app development, geo-targeting, great deals, marketing, wings and social media are encouraged to apply.

Since it’s for college students, make sure to download (available for Android, iPhone and iPod Touch) the app and try it out before you apply!

How To Optimize Your Resume for Online Internship Applications

Applying for internships online can be really frustrating! Often times you don’t hear back from employers and if you do, it’s an automated message confirming receipt of your internship application. The online application process is enough to make any student throw up their hands in defeat! But before you get discouraged, check out the tips below and find out how to optimize your resume so that it ranks high in a company’s Automated Tracking System (ATS). After all, you don’t want your resume going down the black hole!

What’s an Automated Tracking System?

An ATS helps large corporations, who receive thousands of applications, manage the recruitment and interview process for prospective interns. With an ATS applicants upload their information (resume, cover letter, transcripts, portfolio) to an online database — which scans and then ranks each applicant based on the data provided.

Candidates whose resumes are “optimized” and closely match the needs and requirements outlined in the job post will usually rank the highest. Those applicants are the most likely to be offered an interview. It’s that simple.

How do I “optimize” my resume?

1) Study the title and internship description of each position carefully so that you understand the position’s requirements
2) Search for similar internship positions and study their descriptions to get an idea of the responsibilities associated with that type of internship role and the terms used to describe those positions
3) Make a list of synonyms and include keywords from the position’s description and industry-specific terminology on your resume to describe your experience
4) Customize your resume for each position. While some internship positions may seem similar, the duties for a marketing, advertising or social media intern are often distinct and require different functions

How do I know which “keywords” to include?

When following the steps outlined above, look for information in the internship posting that describes the specific functions of the position. These are the key terms you want to use on your resume.

For instance, if an internship posting is for a social media intern then you want to include terms in your resume that are closely related to social media and community management.

Much like a search engine, an ATS is also designed in such a way that employers can specify the most important qualities for the applicants they want to recruit, based off each internship position. If you customize your resume and optimize it with keywords/terms relating to the internship position, then your resume will have a better chance of ranking higher in an employer’s ATS – and you will have the opportunity to score an interview! Sweet, right?

Internship Spotlight: Grantoo

Got game? This means you’re the life of the party! You’re also convinced that you could have built Rome in a day. And, you’re a do-gooder with TOMS to prove it!

Sound like you?

Then Grantoo – a hot, new San Francisco-based social gaming startup – wants you! They’re looking for over 30 ROCKSTAR Marketing Interns to represent their startup across college campuses!

Students selected for this internship should be prepared to reach out to influencers on their college campus, create and manage interactive Facebook pages, pitch and publish articles in their college newspaper, create blog content and most importantly – students should be eager to make a positive change in the world (really)!

Wondering what’s in it for you?

The opportunity to work at a dynamic startup, an awesome recommendation letter and the chance to earn a $5000 educational grant!

If you’re fluent in social media, creative and quick on your feet, then get ready to prove your game by answering these 3 simple questions:

1) What is the most creative way that you plan to advertise to our organization? (short answer)
2) What is a charity that you would like Grantoo to give to? Why? (short answer)
3) Attach a link to your favorite YouTube or Vimeo video. If it’s kittens, it needs to change our world.

Future marketing gurus should apply here.

Get Prepared: Internship Interview Challenge

A lot of students really enjoyed Forbes’ list of tough internship interview questions! So we thought, “what better way to help students prepare for interviews, than a challenge?” Answer the question below in our comments section or link the answer to your blog for the chance to win a really cool prize!

Question: You have a ping pong ball. It is the same diameter as a tube that it is in. It is buried 3 feet under concrete. How do you get it out? 

–Amazon Supply Chain Internship Candidate

Good luck!

Worlds Collide in This Amazing Internship at Huffington Post Science

In Chemistry class, when you combine two polar compounds, you get a chemical reaction that leads to a new substance altogether. In the internship world, when you combine two disciplines at one globally leading journalism office, you get a unique internship experience perfect for cross-disciplinary students.

Today Huffington Post Science is accepting applications for an intern to work at their headquarters in New York on their newly launched HuffPo Science vertical. Ideal candidates will have one foot in the journalism world and one in the science world, with strong editorial sensibilities, experience as a writer or blogger, and comfortability with science terms and research.

But, beyond getting to contribute to research on topics like Rogue Planets, Iridescent Lizards, and Human Hibernation, this position is exceptional due to the sheer amount you as a student will learn during your time on the job. We have highlighted some of the most exciting components below:

Intern Accelerator:

Covering over 60 verticals, the Huffington Post is one of the largest news outlets in the world. Despite the prestige, they don’t offer coffee fetching positions — interns a the Huffington Post are immersed in a fast-paced news room where you will be expected to deliver results and help meet deadlines. Since the Science Vertical is relatively new, you get even more experience, working with a small but highly experienced team.

Expanding (Your) Universe:

Being surrounded by hundreds of journalists and interacting with world class editors means that even by osmosis you are guaranteed to learn a ton. However, this position goes above and beyond and focuses on letting you learn by doing.  You will be expected to complete research, track down original photography, use Photoshop to add content to articles, call researchers and perform a variety of other tasks to get information for big stories.  By completing these types of activities on a daily basis, and with experts around to support you, expect to expand your journalism and science knowledge by many fold during the course of this internship.

You will also get to manage Huffington Post social media accounts using tools like HootSuite to help share articles that go live and learn how to help news stories spread.

The Nuts and Bolts:

HuffPost Science is looking for applications ASAP, you can use this link to read the full position description and submit your application.

The role is paid and is seeking students to commit on average 20 hours a week to the position.

WayUp Hosts Internship Hangout with Hiring Execs from Google, CBS Interactive, and More!

WayUp has teamed up with CBS Interactive, Google, Ashoka, Salesforce, Sirius XM Radio and Nestle Purina Pet Care to host the largest internship hangout ever! Need tips to tackle tough interview questions? Wondering what to do with your LinkedIn account? Can’t decide between non-profit and for-profit internships? Convinced your resume has gone down a black hole? This hangout is the answer to ALL of those internship questions and the best part about it all: with Google’s new Hangout On Air feature, you don’t have to leave your dorm room!

Check out the details below!

When: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 (10 am PST – 5 pm PST)

Who: Nestle Purina, Salesforce, CBS Interactive, Ashoka, Google, Sirus XM, InternMatch and You

What: Loads of internship advice (see agenda below)

Where: Add WayUp’s Google+ page to your circles to stream this event

Hangout Agenda

9:50 AM (PST) – “Opening Remarks”

10:00 AM (PST) –“Networking, Social Media, and Starting Your Internship Search”

Speaker: Nestle Purina, Brook Lashley and Dana Suhre, Hiring Managers

11:00 AM (PST) – “From Resume to Interview, Mastering the Internship Process”

Speaker: salesforce.com,  Ron Pragides, Senior Director Mergers and Acquisitions

12:00 PM (PST) – “How to Apply Online and Navigating the Black Hole”

Speaker: InternMatch, Andrew Maguire, CEO

1:00 PM (PST) – “Deciphering Consumer Brand and Employment Brand”

Speaker: SiriusXM Radio, Ross Herosian, College Programs Manager

2:00 PM (PST) – “Going From Internship to Full-Time Job”

Speaker: CBS Interactive, Mark Howard, Talent Acquisition Manager

3:00 PM (PST) – “Hacking the Engineering Internship Application”

Speaker: Google, Jeff Moore, Lead Engineering Recruiter

4:00 PM (PST) – “Interning at a Social Enterprise”

Speaker: Hayley Darden, Ashoka, Search Team Leader

5:00 PM (PST) – 10:00 AM (PST) – “Resume & Internship Advice Marathon”

Featuring: WayUp and other career gurus!

Win a Front Row Seat to Google’s Engineering Hangout with Jeff Moore!

Are you wondering how to hack your way into an internship with a leading tech company or the best-practices for mastering the ubiquitous tech interview? Enter our challenge to win a front row seat with Google’s Lead Engineering recruiter, Jeffrey T. Moore, during WayUp’s hangout event. This is a a great opportunity to get face-time with a key employee in charge of making engineering hires at one of the most innovative companies in the world!

How to Enter:

To win exclusive access to this invite-only event, follow these three steps:

1.) Film a sample question for Jeff using a phone or webcam.

2.) Upload the video and post your video question to WayUp’s Facebook page.

3.) Entries must be received by Friday, February 24th. WayUp’s team of career gurus will select and notify three lucky winners on Monday, February 27th.

Note: Winners of the video challenge must be available for the entire “Hacking the Engineering Internship” hangout (February 29th 3 – 4 pm PST).

Feel free to get creative with your engineering questions!

Cheers to the Freakin’ Weekend: Plus Six Internships

If you’re like Rihanna (or most people), then today is your favorite day of the week because it’s Friday – and that signals the beginning of the weekend! However, while you’re partying, studying, volunteering, dating, protesting and sleeping, DON’T forget about your internship search!

Summer may seem like months away, but the time to secure a summer internship is now!

With that in mind, check out these paid summer internship positions and apply!

Cheers to the weekend!

Salesforce – Spend the summer in San Francisco interning in Marketing, Tech, Finance or Sales.

Apply.

Open Marketing –This paid New Media Internship is perfect for seniors or new grads and has the potential to turn full-time for the right candidate.

Apply.

SendGrid – A summer in Boulder as a paid Business Development Intern sounds like the perfect break from the school year.

Apply.

Fanscape – Publicity, promotions, events and marketing – this Social Media Internship comes with all of the trimmings!

Apply.

Synapse – Build consumer products in Seattle this summer as a paid Software Engineering Intern.

Apply.

Tagged – You’re it! Create features for social networks as a paid Software Engineering Intern.

Apply.

Spend a Summer in the Clouds With Salesforce

Spend a summer in the clouds as an intern at one of FORTUNE Magazine’s “Best Places to Work!” Salesforce is currently recruiting for its summer internship program – with positions available in Marketing, Tech, Finance and Sales.

As a pioneer in cloud computing, Salesforce delivers business applications for companies ranging from small non-profits to global enterprises.

Students selected for Salesforce’s 10-week paid summer internship program will benefit from networking opportunities, professional development and guest speakers.

Apply here.

Intern With Pixar Animation Studios

Pixar

“You can’t rush art” – Toy Story 2

Pixar, the animation studios that brought you hits like Toy Story, Ratatouille, Wall-E, Cars and Finding Nemo, are recruiting for their summer 2012 Technical Undergraduate Program.

Students selected for this paid 10-week long program will be immersed into the world of animation, with formal training by one of Pixar’s talented Technical Directors. The course will focus on the technical aspects of filmmaking like modeling, shading, rigging lighting – and visual effects. Students can look forward to working on small group projects, while learning, first-hand, about Pixar’s filmmaking process.

This internship is perfect for undergraduate students interested in 3D graphics, art, sculpture, sewing, design and, of course, film!

Interested applicants should apply here.

Photo Credit: JD Hancock via Compfight cc